Born and raised amidst the cosmopolitan streets of Croydon, South London - a renowned hub for the arts - it's no surprise Annotate's formative years ignited an unwavering and profound passion for creativity.
During Annotate's childhood, an intense fascination with storytelling took root and continued to bloom into adulthood. Armed with a degree in Film and Broadcast Production, Annotate began exploring innovative ways to tell meaningful stories through film.
In 2016, fuelled by personal struggles and his brother's inspiring journey with Down syndrome, Annotate put pen to paper and wrote a poem delving into the importance of gratitude. Hoping to encourage others, Annotate recorded a video for the piece and uploaded it to YouTube. Less than a week later, Gratitude had racked up over 30,000 views across social media, with the video being endorsed and reshared by several prominent figures on Facebook.
Riding high on the success of Gratitude, Annotate began regularly performing on London's open mic circuit, dazzling audiences with his clever wordplay and lyricism, and emerging as one of the scene's fastest-rising talents. Before long, Annotate was named a FLO Poet by award-winning poet and songwriter, Natalie Stewart, for his string of impressive performances at the esteemed open mic night, FLO Vortex.
In 2018, Annotate was invited to perform poetry at the world-renowned Tate Modern, showcased his work at the Lost Lectures' multi-media spectacle The Electrograph, and presented a poem at the Tower of London, which was later recorded for broadcast over the historic site's tannoy system.
Bolstered by these achievements, Annotate continued to flourish, headlining many of London's most reputable spoken word nights all the while developing an advanced online presence with the release of Street Tales, a spoken word film exploring the repercussions of gun crime, and later Confessions, a poem described by his peers as a masterclass in lyricism and wordplay.
Annotate's reputation as a formidable spoken word poet and performer has led to notable performances on BBC Sounds and Soho Radio, and earned him acclaim from several high-profile names, including former WBA Heavyweight Champion boxer, David Haye.
Annotate has appeared on Channel 4's Confession Couch to discuss mental health, exhibited poetry for the internationally-recognised Sofar Sounds, and headlined TNT Sports' first-ever spoken word show with a heartfelt tribute to the boxing legend and icon, Muhammad Ali.
Annotate’s heartfelt tribute later led to him performing at The New Black Film Collective’s screening of Cassius X: Becoming Ali at the prestigious Hackney Picturehouse. In March 2024, he was invited to read at the Banister Fletcher Global Fellowship 2023/24 event hosted by the University of London Institute in Paris.
Most recently, Annotate was commissioned by University College London to participate in their Prejudice in Power initiative, which explores the history of Eugenics at UCL, and by Essex County Council to create a series of poems for their journey planner and Travel Training programmes.
In tandem with his poetry endeavours, Annotate created and hosted The Outspoken Podcast, featuring distinguished guests like actor and director Ashley Belal Chin during its 19-month stint, and curated the popular open mic night Just Rhyme.
He's also appeared on renowned entrepreneurial podcasts Freshly Grounded and The Ummahpreuner Podcast, and featured in the BBC Radio 4 documentary: Poets in the Pulpit.
Born and raised amidst the cosmopolitan streets of Croydon, South London - a renowned hub for the arts - it's no surprise Annotate's formative years ignited an unwavering and profound passion for creativity.
During Annotate's childhood, an intense fascination with storytelling took root and continued to bloom into adulthood. Armed with a degree in Film and Broadcast Production, Annotate began exploring innovative ways to tell meaningful stories through film.
In 2016, fuelled by personal struggles and his brother's inspiring journey with Down syndrome, Annotate put pen to paper and wrote a poem delving into the importance of gratitude. Hoping to encourage others, Annotate recorded a video for the piece and uploaded it to YouTube. Less than a week later, Gratitude had racked up over 30,000 views across social media, with the video being endorsed and reshared by several prominent figures on Facebook.
Riding high on the success of Gratitude, Annotate began regularly performing on London's open mic circuit, dazzling audiences with his clever wordplay and lyricism, and emerging as one of the scene's fastest-rising talents. Before long, Annotate was named a FLO Poet by award-winning poet and songwriter, Natalie Stewart, for his string of impressive performances at the esteemed open mic night, FLO Vortex.
In 2018, Annotate was invited to perform poetry at the world-renowned Tate Modern, showcased his work at the Lost Lectures' multi-media spectacle The Electrograph, and presented a poem at the Tower of London, which was later recorded for broadcast over the historic site's tannoy system.
Bolstered by these achievements, Annotate continued to flourish, headlining many of London's most reputable spoken word nights all the while developing an advanced online presence with the release of Street Tales, a spoken word film exploring the repercussions of gun crime, and later Confessions, a poem described by his peers as a masterclass in lyricism and wordplay.
Annotate's reputation as a formidable spoken word poet and performer has led to notable performances on BBC Sounds and Soho Radio, and earned him acclaim from several high-profile names, including former WBA Heavyweight Champion boxer, David Haye.
Annotate has appeared on Channel 4's Confession Couch to discuss mental health, exhibited poetry for the internationally-recognised Sofar Sounds, and headlined TNT Sports' first-ever spoken word show with a heartfelt tribute to boxing legend and icon, Muhammad Ali.
Annotate’s heartfelt tribute later led to him performing at The New Black Film Collective’s screening of Cassius X: Becoming Ali at the prestigious Hackney Picturehouse. In March 2024, he was invited to read at the Banister Fletcher Global Fellowship 2023/24 event hosted by the University of London Institute in Paris.
Most recently, Annotate was commissioned by University College London to participate in their Prejudice in Power initiative, which explores the history of Eugenics at UCL, and by Essex County Council to create a series of poems for their journey planner and Travel Training programmes.
In tandem with his poetry endeavours, Annotate created and hosted The Outspoken Podcast, featuring distinguished guests like actor and director Ashley Belal Chin during its 19-month stint, and curated the popular open mic night Just Rhyme.
He's also appeared on renowned entrepreneurial podcasts Freshly Grounded and The Ummahpreuner Podcast, and featured in the BBC Radio 4 documentary: Poets in the Pulpit.
WATCH ANNOTATE ON YOUTUBE
Poetry and performance advice videos weekly
Browse Annotate's poetry and performance advice to kickstart your own spoken word journey.
ACCESS ANNOTATE'S SPOKEN WORD LIBRARY
Join Annotate on his spoken word journey
Listen to the latest spoken word from Annotate on your preferred music platform, including his debut EP: Greener Pastures.
REVISIT ANNOTATE'S MUHAMMAD ALI TRIBUTE
Annotate's headline performance on TNT Sports
Experience Annotate’s show-stopping tribute to Muhammad Ali on TNT Sports’ first-ever spoken word show: Sport in Words.